Submarine working and exploration vessel



S. LAKE. SUBMARINE WRKING AND EXPLORATION VESSEL.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.3o, 191s.

Patented Oct. 26', 1920.

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' APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30, 1916. y

1,356,773. Patented oet. 26,1920.

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S. LAKE.

SUBMARINE WORKING AND EXPLORATION VESSEL. APPLlcATIoN FILED Dsc. 30,1916.

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APPLICATION FILED DEC-30| I9'I6- Patented Oct. 26, 1920t S. LAKE. SUBMARINE WORKING AND EXPLORATION VESSEL.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.3o, 191s.

Patented Oct. 26, 1920.l

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. s. LAKE. SUBMAHINE WORKING AND EXPLORATION VESSEL.

APPLICATION EILED DEC.30, 1916. l 1,356,773. Patented oct. 26,1920.

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SUBMARINE WORKING AND EXPLORATION VESSEL. A'PPLICAfnoN HLED DEc. ao. 191s.

1,356,773, Patented Oct. 26, 1920;

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UNITED STATES SIMON LAKE, or ivIILFoIm, coNNEc'TIcuI.

siiisivinitivE WORKING AND EXPLORATION vssiiI..

' 'specification 'of Leftersrataf. Patented Oct 26, 1926,

Appiication ineal December 30, 191e. serial No. 139,819.

useful Improvements in Submarine Working and Exploration Vessels, of which the following is a specification. i y

This invention relates to improvements in submarine working and exploration vessels, and particularly to improvements in the constructions shown in Letters Patents Nos. 738,206, 760,457; 867,984, and 1,097,722, granted to me Sept. 8,' 1903; May 24, 1904; Oct. 15, 1907; and May 26, 1914, respectively. Y The object of my present invention is to simplifyand improve upon the construction of Ysuch apparatus as shown in my aforesaid patents, and to provide an apparatus for taking observations of, and kfor surveying water-beds whereby the accurate topography of water-beds may be obtained, and whereby dredging and other operations may be carried out at considerable depths below the surface of the water without the use of divers and without subjecting the operators to the discoinforts experienced by divers whenl compelled to work at such depths.`

The invention comprises a submergible vessel journaled at one end of a tube, and communicating therewith, said tube having its upper end journaled within a wall or recess formed forward in a surface vesseland having lines connected thereto for holding the submergible vessel in a level position and against excessive lateral movement under all conditions of submergence. The invention further comprises a submergible vessel having excavating devices designed for cutting into and loosening the material of a water-bed, combined withfapparatus for collecting the loosened materialy and vdelivering it to a surface vessel or to V barges operating in connection Ywith the apparatus. The invention also comprises means for steering the submergible vessel over the course being operated upon. The invention'` finally, comprises certain novel features of construction and i arrangement as will be j hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the drawings, illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which jlike parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation illustrating my invention in4 use. Fig. 2 isa sectional side elevationV of the Submergibielvesseiand' the lower endfof the tube/connected thereto, and F1g.`3 is a planview of the ,same,.the tube being shownL locked tothe vessiehnas when the latter is being towed upon thesurface of the water. Fig; 4 is a horizontal section drawn oir the line zt-1a of Fig.` 2., the tubelbeing shown in the positionillus-y trated indotted lines in Figf. Fig. is

.a vertical longitudinal section `drawn oiia larger scale onythe line b-b ofFig. 4. F ig. j

6 isa transverse section drawn on a larger scale on vthe line c-c of Fig. 4.v l' Fig. .7 is atransverse sectionv drawn on a larger scale on the line of. Fig. 4'. Fig. 8 is a ver-A tical section drawn on a larger scale on the line c-e of Fig. 4. Fig. 9 isa horizontal sectional plan vview drawn onza larger scale on the line f-f-of Fig. 1, illustrating the arrangement for `journaling the upper fendV of the tube in the well of the surface vessel. Fig. 10 is aside elevation of the same.` A i 1 designates a surface vessel of any approved design having a well orl recess2 opening'A through its forward vend. ,In Vthe afterv end of the wellor recess, isk yieldingly -,1 1

supported the upper end'of a ,tubeo3, to the lower end of which. is yjournaled--Iny .ini-

proved submergibleV vessel `4.l The vessel A4 Vis here shownrectangular, in'V cross-section,-

having tapering bow and lstern portions. j The vessel 4 is provided at its after end witchva recess`5 in the vertical vside walls 6 (Fig. 4) of which is journ aled the lower end of the tube 3. Stuing boxes 7 are `provided to prevent ingress of water tothe interior r of the vessel 4 around the journals of the i.

ltube The vessel is divided transversely by partitionsS and 9, (Fig. 4), and hori-V zontallyby a partition 10, (Figs'-2, 7 `and 8), the transverse partitions-8 vand 9, andV 1 the* horizontal Vpartition 10V providing.. a: j

water-ballast compartment or compartments 11 11n lthe bottom of, and inthe after' end of the vessel; and the space abovethepartition 10,;between the transverse partitions 8- and 9, is further divided by a longitudis through the journal l13 vvat the adjacent side of the tube, which is in open communication l therewith. The opening through the journal upon the opposite` side of the tube is controlled by a door or hatch cover 14, so that when it is desiredto use the compartment 12 as an air-lock, the Vdoor may be closedland the compartment thus sealed airand water-tight. The space forward of the partition 9 constitutes a diving compartv ment 15, and the bottom,V of this compartment Vis formed with an openingv 16 controlled by a door 17, (Figs. 4 and 5), so that exit'may be made through the lbottom of the vessel 4 from the diving compartment or chamber 15, and operations or observations carried out as will be well understood. The partition 9 is formed with a doorway 18 controlled by a door 19 as shown in'Fig. 4.

21; and working within this cylinder20 is a piston 22 having a hollow stem 23 extermiing upwardly therefrom, and with a depending cylindrical section 22,`to` the lower end of which is connected a casing 24having Journals 1n which `is mounted' al shaft 26 having traction wheels 27 mounted upon its outer ends. Keyed to the lshaft 26 is a beveled'gearwheel 28 with which meshes a Y pinion 29 carried at the lower end of'a shaft 30 journaled at its lower enclin the casing 24 Vand extending upwardly through -the hollow stem 23 and through the stufiing box 21. To the upper end of the shaft 30 is swiveled a blck 32 to which is connected a cable or chain 33 which passes over a -sheave34 journaledin a casting or casing 35 mounted upon the upper ends of tubes 36 Y and 37, extending from a casting 38 secured to the top of the vessel4.

` chain 33 extends kupwardly through the The. cable or tube 36; around the sheave 34 anddownwardly through the tube 37. and has its end connected to a rod 40 working through a y stufling box :41 connected to the top'. of Athe which passesover guide pulleys 44and 45,Y (see Fig; 7) and has its opposite end con- A vessel Y4. The lcwer end of the rod 40 is connected by a suitable coupling (not shown)k nected to a coupling 46 carried at theupper end of a piston rodrr47 extending from piston (not shown), working in a cylinder 49 mounted within the vessel 4.l Tapped.

. Y into the upperend of the cylinder 49, above 'the' piston, 1s a pipe 50` (Fig. 7), for admitting water or air under pressure for forcing the piston' downwardly" into the cylinder 49 to thus, through its connections with the Y 1 shaft 3() and its co-acting parts, elevate the traction wheels 27 to thus adjust the bottom -of the vessel 4 towardvor away from the water-bed being operated upon.` The pipe 50, it will be understood, willbe extended from a suitablehydraulic or compressed air supply (not shown), located within the vesf sel 4. lf desired, it may extend up through the tube 3 to suitablesupply upon the surface vessel 1.

devices located The upper end of the shaft 30 .is formed with a spline, and keyed upon the said shaft is a beveled pinion 51, (Fig. 8) which is `mounted lwithin the casting 38; and meshing the pinion 51 is a beveled pinion 52 car.- ried at the upper end of a'shaft 53 having at its lower end a worm wheel 54 meshed by a' worm 55 carried at the outer end of a shaft 56 of a motor 57 mounted within the working compartment 13 of the vessel 4. c

By the foregoing construction, it will be apparent that whenthe motor 57 is energized, the shaft 30 will be rotated and ino-Y tion thus imparted to the traction vwheels 27 to propel the vessel 4 over the surface of the water-bed, and to thus. relieve the propellent force of the surface vessel." In order to rotate the traction wheels 27 on their vertical axis to steer the lvessel over a given course, and to keep the same in longitudinal alinement with the surface vessel 1. I provide the hollow stem-23 with a hollow extension 23 upon which is keyed a worm wheel 58 (Figs. 7 and 8), which is meshed by a worm 59, shown in dotted lines inA Fig. 4, carried at the inner endof a shaft 60,

journaled at its inner end in a casing 6l surrounding the worm wheel 58, and vin a stuffing box 62 fastened upon the transT verse part1t1on9. The outer end of the shaft 60 extends into the diving compartment 15, and is provided with a hand wheel 63 by which the piston and its parts 23 23 and 22 may be rotated in order to steer the vessel 4 over any given course.

`Mounted in the extreme forward end of the vessel 4 is a motor 65 having the lower end of its shaft 66 journaled in a suitable bearing 66 mounted upon the top of'a plate or casting 67 arranged within the lower for`` ward end of the vessel 4. The plate 67V has a horizontal member and a vertical member', as shown in Fig. 5, and these members form the corresponding walls of a recess at the forward end. of the vessel 4,1and which is .open to the surrounding bodyof waterfor.

the `purpose hereinafter appearing. The j shaft ;66 of the motor 6.5 has a Worinl 6,9` keyedthereom and meshing with aworm wheel 70 carried by va shaft 71 journaled in a casing which completely incloses the worm69 and the worm wheel Theouter end of the shaft 71 isprovided withv disks 7 3 (Fig. 6), having wrist pins 74 upon which,

which is extended a suction pipe 91., shown vFig. V5. 'Ihel casing 72 isprovided with an lextension 83 towhich is connected acable 84 extending over a pulley 85 mounted in a bracket depending from the top'of the vessel 4, the .free -end of the cablehbeing wound upon a drum 86 mounted insuitable bearings 87 secured .to one of the kvertical walls of the vessel 4, and having a hand wheel 88 by which the cable 84 maybe wound or unwound in order to raise or lower the disksv 82 towardor away from the waterbed. By the arrangement just described,

when the motor'65 is energized, thel shaft 71 will be rotated so as vto reciprocate the shafts 80 and thus cause'the disks 82 tomove towardV and away from' 'the water-bed, and

thus, through suction, agitateV and lift thematerial of the water-bed without injury to objects embedded' therein. I have found from actual experience that by rapidlyk raising and lowering a disk in a body of water, and so arranging the disk that it will be immediately adjacent to thevwater-bed when in its lower-most position, the material of Y the water-bed will be ysucked up, or dug up 7 as it were, lwithout injuryto the-vembedded objects, vand that this feature of my invention is particularly.applicable in dig-.-

ging clams without injury to the same, since` I avoid the necessity of forcing a prong, rake, or other excavating device into the Vwater-bed in order to uncover them.

Extending through the diving compartment 15 andopening through the top and bottom of the vessel 4 is a well 90- through in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2, vextending from a suction pump (not shown), located upon the surface vessel 1, or upon a bargeY (notshown) operating in connection with myapparatus.' Y c To thelower end ofthe suction 91 .is Vconnected a scoop 92, shown in Vdotted lines in Fig. 2, similarto that shown in my aforesaid Patent No. 1,097,722. Asthe construction of thev scoop and the conne@l tion of the suction pipe thereto forms no part of the present invention, I do not conider it necessary/todescribe'Y this feature in detail. ,Howeven it might be jstate'dthat when the disks 82 are reciprocated', andthe .case may be.

soil of theYwater-bed thus agitated, or dug up, the clams or other objects embeddedin the waterbed will be drawn up to the sur-.

face and collected by the scoop as the vessel is moved over its course, and from the Y scoop will be drawn up by the Vsuction through the` pipe 91 and'deliveredeither to the surface vessell, or the barge, asthe 95 and 95 the surface vessel 1 with the submergible vessel 4 for holding said submergible''vesrdesignate guy lines connecting sel 4 in rigid relation to the-surfacevessel 1 during all degrees of submergence, and tov thus relieve the strain upon the tuloeu` dueV tothe rolling motion ofthe surface vessel, especially whenthe apparatusis operating ina rough sea, the saidlines 95 and 95- being also designed for holding the submergvible vessel 4 on'an even keel at all degreesj of submergence. f

`196 designates a lifting cable extending from a suitable drum or winch (not shown), v located upon thesurface vessel, and having its lower end connected to the tubev 3,- where- 1.'

by the depth of submergence of the said vessel 4 may he controlled whenthe vessel4 has'negative buoyancy, it being understood that'when operating over a water-bed vwith 1l i the vessel 4 under Ynegative buoyancy, the"` traction wheels 27 will' be caused to vrest upon the water-bed withv sufficienty weight to make them effective, and that, bythe. Y

employment of the lifting cable 96,. the vessel 4v may be' elevated without blowing theV i compartment or compartments 11', :to vavoid an `obstruction 'such asa projecting rock, or

a sunken vessel. As shown in dotted lines Y in F ig. 1 of the drawings, the guylines 95 and 95 hold the vessel 4 on an evenkeel during all' degrees of submergencebWhen the vessel 4 is elevated tothe surface,`f1`t is slightly elevated at thev bow, thus lfacilitating the transportation of the apparatus.

97 designates a drum mounted upon.- the T f Il() i deck of the submergible -vessel-4 around which is wound a cable controllingan anchorl weight 97" (Fig. wherebyl the vessel 4 'l may be securely anchored in. .afgiven posi.

tion, VnotwithstandingYthe rolling' mot'ionr'of -l' the surface ves'selll. The drumz- 97 is Amount*-` ed in a bracket 98,- andthe' shaft'of the drum carries a worm' wheeli99', shown 'injdotted' i linesin Fig. 5. -The worm wheel: 99y is` j meshe'd by a worm 100 (alsoshownin dotted;

lines in Fig. 5), carried Vat the upper Vend fof vertically positioned lshaft 101 extend ing 'downwardly into the diving compartmentiv 15, andhaving its flowerend provided with` a handleshownjas a crank 102, by which theY shaft is operated;-V A Vstuffing box 103 surrounds the shaft and the A`opening in the deck ofthe vessel 4 throughfwhich the saidv shaft passes, to',l prevent, ingress r` j .of water to the working compartment rounding the disks 82 may be lighted up to Y' thusenable the occupants of the diving compartment to view the'water-bed being operated upon. v

' Water is admitted to the ballast'compartment or compartments of the 'submergible vessel 4, through suitable valves (not shown), and water is expelledfrom the said compartment or compartments either by a pump (not shown), or by air pressure sup-l plied from a tank 110 mounted in the diving compartment 15, and from vwhich tank is eX- tended an air-pipe 111, having the controlling valve 112 and also having vbranches 111 leading Vinto the said ballast compartment or compartments. One of the branches 111 is provided with a valve 112 for admitting air tothe air-lock 12 as may be desired. Air

is supplied to the tank 110 through a tank 113 lmounted inthe working compartment 13, and connected to the said tank 110 through a pipe 114, as shown in Fig. 4. The

tank 113 is supplied `with compressed air through a pipe 115 extending from a suitable air compressor (not shown), carried by the surface vessel, said pipe 115 being extended down through the tube 3, and through the journals 13, as shown in Fig. 4. Y'

` In operation the submergible vessel 4 is propelled by the surface vessel 1, to the locality over which the water-bed is to be operated upon. Water-ballast is then let into the compartment or compartments 11 to overcome the buoyancy of the vessel 4 and cause it to sink to the bottom, and the traction wheels 27 are then adjusted into proper relation with the waterebed. The said traction wheels are then set in motion, as is also, the motor for operating the churning disks 82,'and-as the vessels are propelled, the

VVVexcavated materialwill be taken up through thepipeV 91and delivered either to thevsuriface vessel 1, or to the barges working inconnectionv therewith.

f lInzpractice, Ipurpose providing the surface vessel 1 with a propeller 116 located in an opening formed in the keel of said vessel for facilitating the steering of saidvessel in llateral directions, whereby it may be more readily maintained in a parallel course with res ectto the vessel 4L so, in practice, I purpose providing the submergible vessel 4 with-a cleat 117, so that the tube` maybe firmly locked to the said vessel when the latter isfloating on the surface, asduring transportation.

While I have shown various arrangements in my aforesaid patents for holding the upper end of a submergible tube inthe well of a surface vessel, in the present construction I purpose mounting the said tube 3 in the well ina manner will now describe. As shown, the upper end of the tube is provided with an elbow 3 to which is rigidly connected a bracketl 300 having a journal 301 upon which is securely bolted a yoke 302 having `pintles 304, whichrest in bearings 805 fastened to the walls 2 of the well 2 of the surface vessel 1,whereby movement of the tubeto conform to the movement of the vessel is permitted; The arrangement shown, it will, of` course, beunderstood, also permits vertical movement of the 'tube '8.

It will be understood, that, in practice,

suitable yielding connections will `be arranged in the guy linesto permit a certain amount of yielding movement in the lines to thus relieve'the strain thereon during eX- cessive movement of the surfacev vessel.

However, ias this feature ofrmy invention will be readily appreciated by engineers skilled in the art to which the invention relates, it is not thought necessary to illusf trate, `or to describe the same herein.

From the foregoing, it will-beseen that I provide an apparatus that is particularly designedV for'submarine operations, whereby the depth of submergence ofthe submarine vessel may not only be controlled, but, also,Y

one in which communication lbetween the Vsurface yvessel and the submergible vessel may be had at all times irrespective of the depth of submergence of thesubmarine vessel 4and furthermore, that Vby the lifting cable 96, the submarine vessel may be held above the water-bed when the said vessel 4 .l

is under positive buoyancy, thereby avoiding the necessity of blowing the compartment or compartments of the submergible vessel 4 to give itrequisite buoyancy to avoid an ob- I structiomand whereby the said vessel 4 may be held free of the water-bed, or an encountered obstruction. When transporting the apparatus, it will be understood the submarine vessel 4 travels upon the surface of the water under its own buoyancy,'andis held rigidly to the surface vessel=1 by means of the lines 95 and 95, which, in combination with the tube 3, securely hold the vessel A4 in longitudinal alinement with the surface vessel. 1, and thus cause the said vessel to easily ride the seas; i

What I claim is 1. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising a surfacevessel and a submergible vessel, and means connecting the same and adapted to project and locate the submergible vessel in advance of the surface vessel.

V2. Apparatus of the kind described, com-V prising a surface vessel and a submergible vessel, and means connecting the same and pivotally attached thereto and adapted to project and locate the submergible vessel in advance of the surface vessel.

3. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising a surface vessel and a submergible vessel, and means pivotally connecting the vessels and affording communication between them and projected forwardly from the surface vessel and adapted to propel the submergible vessel in advance of the sur-` face vessel.

4. Apparatus of the kind described, vcomprising a surface vessel provided with a forward well opening at the bow, a tube pivotally mounted at one end in said well, and a submergible vessel pivotally 'connected aft with the other end of the tube and leading the surface vessel and equipped with exploration and other working apparatus.

5. Apparatus of the kind described in claim 4 in which the Well is provided with a Vhorizontally arranged pivoting member to which the tube is yoked. 6. Apparatus of the kind described in claim 4, in which the tube has a pivot member and the well has a rocking yoke in which said pivot member is fitted.

7 Apparatus of the kind described in claim 4 in which means are providedyfor accommodating relative movement of said surface vessel and tube, same comprising aconnection between the two provided with pivotal joints arranged on axes normal to each other.

s. Apparatus of the kind described enV claim 4, in which the submergible vessel has an amidship section in which the tube is journaled, said section being divided into a working compartment in open communica tion with said tube andan air-lock in closable communication with said tube.

9. Apparatus of the kinddescribed in claim 4 in which the submergible vessel has an air-lock arranged amidship therein, a diving compartment arranged forward, and a door interposed between the air-lock and the diving compartment.

l0. T he combination with a surface vessel, of a submergible vessel having ballast compartments of sufcient capacity to de-V said vessels substantially admidship and affording dry communication between said vessels.

l2. The lcombination with a surface vessel, of a communicating submergible vessel having independent propelling mechanism, means to raise and lower said vpropelling mechanism, `and means to turn and thereby utilize the rpropelling mechanism for steering purposes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of December, A. D.

1916. SIMON LAKE.` Witnesses:

M. E. HITCHCOCK, J. ARTHUR PEAsE. 

